Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is returning to the Philippines for its fourth year, giving young Filipino students an opportunity to develop STEM-based solutions to real-world challenges in their communities.
Supported by the Department of Education (DepEd), the program is open to students in Grades 8 to 10 from government-managed Science High Schools across the country. Now on its 16th year globally, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow aims to help students turn ideas into practical solutions using science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Three themes for this year
Students can develop proposals under three themes:
Environmental Sustainability through Technology focuses on using STEM to reuse, recycle, and transform materials into useful products while reducing waste.
Social Change through Tech and Sport encourages students to explore how technology and sports can support education, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion.
Solving Community Problems with AI challenges students to explore practical applications of AI for addressing issues in their communities while promoting responsible technology use.
Each team can have up to four students and one teacher adviser. Proposals can be submitted as a Word document with up to 3,000 words or seven pages, or as a PowerPoint presentation with a maximum of six slides. Entries must be submitted as PDF files no larger than 40MB.
Proposals will be evaluated based on design innovation, community relevance, feasibility, STEM integration, sustainability, and clarity.
Prizes worth almost Php 2 million
The Grand Prize winner will receive Php 400,000 worth of Samsung devices for their school, Php 200,000 worth of Samsung devices for the students and teacher, Php 100,000 in cash for the team, and Php 30,000 in cash for the teacher.
The Second Prize includes Php 300,000 worth of Samsung devices for the school, Php 200,000 worth of devices for the team and teacher, Php 70,000 in cash for the team, and Php 25,000 for the teacher.
The Third Prize comes with Php 200,000 worth of Samsung devices for the school, Php 200,000 worth of devices for the team and teacher, Php 50,000 in cash for the team, and Php 15,000 for the teacher.
The remaining teams in the Top 10 will receive Php 15,000 in cash for the team and Php 5,000 for the teacher.
From ideas to community solutions
Since launching in the Philippines in 2023, Solve for Tomorrow has featured student projects focused on issues ranging from environmental monitoring to agriculture.
Last year's winning team from Cavite Science Integrated School developed a solar-powered water-quality sensing buoy designed to monitor the health of mangrove ecosystems. Other notable projects included an egg-segregation solution and a low-cost sustainable pest control system designed to help farmers reduce their reliance on chemicals.
How to join
Entries for Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 are open until 02 November 2026 at 11:59 PM. The Top 10 teams will be announced on 16 November, followed by mentoring with a Samsung coach to refine their proposals. Submit entries here.
The finalists will present their solutions to a panel of judges on 07 December, with the Top 3 teams to be announced on 15 December 2026.
Students and teachers interested in joining can submit their entries through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Philippines.
